Five-to-one choice O’Connor won a three-horse shootout in the stretch to clinch the US$350 000 Hagyard Fayette Stakes, and give Barbadian trainer Saffie Joseph success in the day’s feature at Keeneland here Saturday.
O’Connor, a six-year-old bay by Boboman out of Torrente de Agua, sat off the pace before storming into contention at the top of the stretch and getting the better of 5-1 bet Il Miracolo and 13-1 chance Speed Bias in a photo finish.
With meet-leading jockey Tyler Gaffalione in the irons, O’Connor completed the trip over a mile and eighth in one minute, 50.61 seconds.
“He was very game, and it was very hard-fought. He took everything that was thrown at him,” said Gaffalione.
“He was loving his position going around the turn. I was really happy with where I was at. Coming into the stretch he kept finding more, and every time I asked him he responded.
“All the credit goes to Saffie and his team. They brought him over here ready to run. I was just fortunate to be the passenger today.”
Chile’s Horse-of-the-Year last year, O’Connor sat off the pace early on as 9-1 bet Twilight Blue and Speed Bias pulled the field through brisk fractions of 23.55 seconds for the quarter-mile and 47.48 for the half.
Law Professor stalked from third with Il Miracolo sitting fourth, and favourite Trademark in striking distance down in fifth.
Gaffalione shifted O’Connor to the outside in preparation for the stretch run and came off the final turn in fourth as Speed Bias and Law Professor duelled for the lead.
O’Connor survived a bump with Il Miracolo in the early stretch to vie for the lead in a searing battle inside the final furlong, just getting up on the head bob for the win.
